According to the World Health Organization, Diarrhoea disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old, and is responsible for killing around 525,000 children every year. These deaths can be prevented through the simple act of handwashing with soap which can break the chain of infection.

Dettol, one of Nigeria’s leading brands, led the 2017 Global Handwashing Day celebrations by launching a nationwide campaign themed “Letter for Life”. The campaign was a unique way to get children interested in washing their hands, as well as also get them to spread the message of handwashing, from one child to another. To do this, the Dettol team went around to various primary schools in Nigeria through its annual School Hygiene Program, taught them proper hand washing habits, and in turn the children wrote hygiene letters. These letters along with a free bar of Dettol soap were distributed to children who do not have access to soap.

To mark the 2017 Global Handwashing Day, Dettol organized an event at the Morroco Military Primary School, Yaba in Lagos state, where they donated 12 hand washing sites to help inculcate the habit of proper handwashing to the school children. At the event, over 700 school children were taught about proper hand hygiene in a fun and engaging way through an entertaining dance drama and the handwashing song.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, West Africa, Rahul Murgai stated that “ At RB ( Reckitt Benckiser) ,our global vision is to provide the world with innovative solutions and products for healthier lives and happier homes. Dettol has been the trusted champion for good health and hygiene for over 50 years in Nigeria, and we believe that it’s important to inculcate good habits such as proper handwashing at an early age. A simple act of washing your hands with soap can prevent illness and arrest diarrhoea related deaths, which is why we are donating these 12 handwashing sites to the children of this school. Over the past 7 years, we have provided over 32 handwashing sites and have educated over 7 million children, parents and teachers, about the importance of hand washing through our School Hygiene Program, which is a mass consumer education program to educate about proper handwashing habits.

Speaking further at the event, Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Aliza Leferink, also added that; “The Dettol brand has been at the forefront of providing health and hygiene messages via its products and initiatives in Nigeria. Our theme for the 2017 Global handwashing day is “A Letter for Life”. With this theme, we wanted a unique way to get children interested in washing their hands, as well as also get them to spread the message of handwashing, from one child to another. With these activities, we are creating awareness about the seriousness of the cause and also educating people on how they can prevent these deaths by the simple act of handwashing. Dettol works closely with the Ministry of Health, Save the Children International and the Nigerian Medical Association on social programs to create scaled awareness to reduce Diarrhoea related deaths.”